Star Trek: Resurrection
by pilight
Summary: Six months after the events of Nemesis, Picard and Riker face an old foe


_Captain's Log, Stardate 57308.2. The Enterprise has been summoned to Starbase 173, where my first officer and I along with those of the USS Titan will meet with Admiral Haftel regarding a mission that will require both ships._

Jean-Luc Picard smiled as he was greeted by a friendly face after transporting from his ship to the Starbase.

"Will! It's good to see you."

"Hello, captain" replied Captain Riker.

"We're both captains now, you can treat me as an equal."

"I don't believe I could ever be that, captain. Allow me to introduce my first officer, commander T'Rausi." Riker gestured towards the tall Vulcan woman standing next to him. She accepted Picard's handshake but did not speak.

"I believe you are acquainted with my newest Number One, captain."

"Worf, I'm pleased to see you doing so well. You'll be ready for your own ship before you know it." The Klingon nodded but also remained silent.

The four began walking towards their meeting, the two captains in front and the first officers slightly behind. T'Rausi took the opportunity to speak to Worf. "Admiral Haftel oversees Starfleet research and development in conjunction with the Daystrom Institute. It is strange that he would have a mission requiring multiple Starships. Do you know anything about the nature of our assignment?"

Worf shook his head. "I do not know. The admiral came aboard the Enterprise once while I was chief security officer, but I did not meet him."

They reached the meeting room and entered. Admiral Haftel was already seated at the head of the conference table and he asked the arriving officers to sit.

"Let's get right down to business. You are here because of two incidents that occurred recently. One happened here at Starbase 173, the other at the Daystrom Annex on Galor IV. The incidents are separate, but we believe they are related. First let me show you a security recording of the first incident, the one that happened here 10 days ago. Computer, show file Haftel 6589."

The video screen behind the admiral showed a scene of a robotics laboratory. In addition to the computer bank, the recording showed work tables with memory chips, mechanical limbs, and what appeared to be artificial eyes and ears connected to a central processor. An older man in a lab coat is making a voice log entry. "Progress has been minimal. I have been unable to recreate the breakthrough made by Dr. Soong"

Will Riker was the first to recognize the man in the video. "Computer, freeze program. Isn't that Bruce Maddox?"

The admiral responded immediately; "Yes, it is. Do you know Dr. Maddox?"

Picard answered the senior officer's question; "We have had some dealings with him in the past."

"After leaving Starfleet, Dr. Maddox began working for the Daystrom Institute in their artificial intelligence division. He's been trying to create an AI without using human memory engrams. Computer, resume program."

Maddox began entering data into the computer then seemed to have misplaced something. He spoke to someone off screen. "Can you bring me that padd, please?"

When the other figure entered the screen his back was to the camera so his face could not be seen. He moved slowly and mechanically, obviously a robot or a rudimentary android. After handing the padd to Maddox, he turned so that he could be seen just as Maddox said "Thank you, Lore".

* * *

 _Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It's continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before..._

* * *

Picard, Riker, and Worf all reacted immediately upon seeing Lore's face, talking over one another in increasingly animated terms; "Lore is dangerous", "When was he reactivated?", "What is he doing working as a lab assistant?", "Have you gone mad?"

The admiral paused the video. "Settle down, gentlemen. Starfleet brought Lore's body to the Daystrom Institute after the Enterprise captured him. Dr. Maddox downloaded all of his programming and memories into a dedicated server then began to write new software for him. So far he has been unable to get Lore to cross over into sentience with the new programming. There is nothing of the Lore you knew in the android you see on the screen. Please let the video finish before asking any more questions. Computer, resume program."

Lore moved to the edge of the screen as Maddox continued working. Maddox stopped, perplexed, and spoke to no one in particular; "Why doesn't it work?" After pondering for a moment, he had an idea where to look for answers. He moved to another computer station separated from the others. "Computer, this is Dr. Bruce Maddox. Show me Lore original programming, section 2284615." Maddox, absorbed in his work, did not see the flicker of interest that flashed across Lore's face at the mention of his original programming.

A moment later the Starbase computer's voice spoke to Maddox. "Dr. Maddox, the time is now 1800 hours. This is the alert you requested for this time."

"Acknowledged, computer. Close all files and secure the lab." The computer beeped as it complied. Maddox left the lab and the lights dimmed immediately upon his departure.

A short time later, Lore moved to the computer station where Maddox was last working. "Computer, display Lore original programming."

"Unable to comply. Lore original programming is restricted data."

When Lore spoke again, his voice matched Maddox's. "Computer, this is Dr. Bruce Maddox. Show me Lore original programming." After a few seconds of watching the screen, Lore (still using the disguised voice) said "Maximum display speed."

Admiral Haftel spoke at this point. "Even at maximum speed, it took nearly 12 minutes to display the entirety of Lore's original programming. Computer, go to time stamp 1729.7"

The screen went gray for a second then resumed as Lore finished viewing the program. He left the station and retrieved a high capacity fiber optic cable. He opened the side of his head and connected one end to data port there, then connected the other to the computer. Still using the Maddox voice, he commanded "Computer, download Lore original programming to device connected at port number one."

The download took about two minutes, with Lore occasionally twitching as the new/old program was loaded into his memory. When it was complete he gave a smile that was all too familiar to the male officers. He moved to the other computer station, tapped a few buttons, and the screen went black.

Haftel began speaking again; "Lore managed to disable the security video system for most of the starbase. We know he spent several minutes in the lab accessing library computer information, but he erased all record of what he was looking at and we have not been able to recover any of it. He then went to the departure area and got passage on a Tellarite ship going to Memory Alpha. He is no longer at that station. Dozens of ships stop at Memory Alpha every day, not all of them Federation vessels. From there he could have gone anywhere. Captain Picard, because of your familiarity with Lore and his history you and the Enterprise are assigned the task of finding Lore and bringing him back."

Riker queried "I guess the Titan's assignment is related to the other incident?"

Haftel continued "That's right, captain. The android known as B-4 was at the Daystrom Annex on Galor IV. One week after Lore escaped, he stole a ship and left the annex. That ship was located yesterday in Romulan space in the same area where the Enterprise engaged Shinzon and the Scimitar."

It was T'Rausi who interrupted the admiral "How is that possible? No known Federation vessel has the capability of getting that deep into Romulan space from Galor IV in only two days."

Haftel was ready for that question. "The ship B-4 took is the USS Jemison. It has an experimental engine system based on the Borg's transwarp propulsion. One of the reason's the Titan was assigned this mission is that your chief engineer has considerable experience with Borg engine technology."

* * *

As T'Rausi entered the engineering section of the Titan, she immediately heard the sound of the chief engineer yelling. It was a common occurrence ever since the last engineer was replaced. The Titan had been unable to find a good chief since captain Riker had taken command. At first T'Rausi thought Riker's standards were too high, but after looking at the records from the Enterprise when he was first officer she understood why he was so demanding. The new chief, though volatile, got results. The Titan's engine efficiency was finally where the captain wanted it and the morale of the engineering staff had never been better. T'Rausi thought it odd that such a confrontational style would be so effective. It was certainly unlike anything she had experienced on a Vulcan ship. Following her ears she quickly located the half Klingon woman who had turned the section around.

"Commander Torres"

"Diggins! Lacy! Get that phase inducer back online before the captain orders us to warp or you'll be doing waste removal maintenance!" B'Elanna turned with anger but quickly composed herself when she saw the first officer. "Commander. What can I do for you?"

"We have a mission briefing in 10 minutes. Also, I wish to ask you about something, if you will walk with me to the briefing."

"Certainly, commander. Carson, you're in charge until I get back!"

T'Rausi was unlike any other Vulcan B'Elanna had ever met. She had the devotion to logic and emotional detachment typical of her race, but B'Elanna always had the impression that her emotions were not buried very deeply. T'Rausi always seemed on the verge of saying something sarcastic or making some kind of emotional display. B'Elanna suspected the first officer might really lay into someone if properly provoked, and that whoever that someone was would regret it. Not only was T'Rausi highly intelligent, she was an impressive physical specimen. She stood just short of two meters tall and had an athletic build. Only Counselor Troi had beaten her at chess and no one onboard could best her in hand-to-hand combat training. Captain Riker liked to joke that he could take her if he was 15 years younger, but you didn't have to be a Betazoid to hear the doubt in his voice when he said it.

T'Rausi did not waste time getting to the question. "What experience do you have with Borg propulsion systems?"

"I was onboard the USS Voyager when it was stranded in the Delta Quadrant. We had many encounters with the Borg. At one point we salvaged one of their transwarp coils and adapted for use with power from our warp engines."

"Was the warp power compatible with the coil?"

"Not entirely. The coil burned out after a short period of use. Still, we were much closer to home after using it than we had been before. We tried many different methods to get home faster. We experimented with a Quantum Slipstream. We even rigged an advanced shuttle to break the Warp 10 barrier. What a disaster that was. Why are you curious about my knowledge of Borg drives?"

"Your experience with such systems is what got us assigned to this mission."

* * *

"Dr. Maddox, where did you go after you left the lab?" Worf's tone sounded accusatory, despite his best efforts to moderate it. The tone of voice was part of the Klingon way.

"I went home to change clothes, then my wife and I went out for dinner. That's why I had the computer alert me at 1800, so I would have time to get ready."

"Were you in the habit of leaving Lore activated while you were out of the lab?"

"Yes. He was making slow progress towards sentience with the programs I had created. I felt that leaving him active would speed up the process."

"You had written his new programming yourself?"

"I used Dr. Soong's programming for the mechanical functions, like how to move his arms. There was no need for me to 'reinvent the wheel' for that software. The higher function programs were all of my own creation, albeit modeled on Dr. Soong's work."

"What changes did you make to Dr. Soong's programming?"

"The biggest change was to the ethics subroutine. The new one I wrote was much more comprehensive and detailed than Dr. Soong's. Dr. Soong did not give Lore the capacity to feel guilty about his wrong doing, for example."

"Why do you think Lore restored his original programming?"

"Curiosity, most likely. He heard me mention it to the computer and had reached a level of consciousness that allowed him to understand what it meant to some degree. He would not have seen anything wrong with downloading it. It is his programming, after all."

"Had Lore ever given any indication that he wanted to leave the Starbase?"

"None. He was in the very early stages of the transition into sentience. The Lore that existed before this incident was very much like a young child. Such children rarely even conceive of the idea of leaving home."

"Alright, doctor, We have your notes on Lore's progress and copies of the programs you wrote for him. Is there anything else you can add that might be helpful?"

"You should be aware that the download of Lore's original programming would not have entirely overwritten the programming I wrote for him. The interaction between his original programs and the programs I created could result in unpredictable behavior unlike either the Lore you knew or the one I programmed."

* * *

Captain's log, supplemental. The Titan is enroute to the Desura system, inside the Neutral Zone, where we will rendezvous with a Romulan ship that will escort us to the last known location of the Jemison. The Romulan political situation since the death of Shinzon is somewhat precarious, but considerably more friendly to the Federation than any time in recent memory.

"Now aprrroaching the Desurrra system" Riker always found the purring accent of M'Rook, the black furred Caitian at the helm, soothing. His encounters with male Caitians made him suspect his reaction might be different with a masculine voice.

"Slow to impulse. Any sign of the Romulans?"

It was T'Rausi's crisp, no nonsense voice that answered. "Negative. Sensors detect no uncloaked ships in the area."

"Verify coordi..." Riker was cut off by the appearance of a Romulan Warbird on the viewscreen.

T'Rausi announced what everyone could see. "Romulan Warbird decloaking directly ahead. They are hailing us."

"Put it on screen."

A slender, yet ominous looking Romulan woman appeared on the screen. "Federation Vessel, this is the Romulan Warbird Bayon. You have entered the Neutral Zone. What is the reason for this treaty violation?"

"This is captain Riker of the Federation Starship Titan. We are scheduled to rendezvous with a Romulan vessel which will escort us into Romulan space for a search mission. The mission authorization code is Whiskey, November, Bravo, Alpha."

"The code is valid, captain. I am commander Kelend of the Warbird Bayon. We are to escort you to Bassen Rift, where your missing ship was last seen."

"Acknowledged, commander. We are ready to proceed."

"First I must apprise you of the protocols for this mission. You must maintain subspace silence at all times while in our space. Your only permissible contacts are this vessel or your missing ship. Any contact with that ship will be monitored. You will not activate your weapons or shields. You will not launch any shuttles or other auxiliary craft. You must get approval from me for any course or speed changes. You will not transport anyone or anything off of your ship without my express permission. Do you accept these conditions?"

"We will abide by your rules, commander. Let's get going."

Deanna Troi, Riker's Betazoid wife and ship's counselor, had been sitting next to him during this conversation and spoke up immediately after Kelend had closed the channel. "Will, she wants the Jemison. Capturing a Federation ship capable of penetrating that deep into Romulan space without being detected would be a great boon to her career."

Riker replied "Admiral Haftel was quite clear that we were not to allow the Romulans to even see the Jemison's engines. We will have to find a way to keep her from inspecting it."

* * *

"Report, Mr. LaForge." Picard had the entire senior staff in the Enterprise briefing room hoping one of them would have some idea where to start looking for Lore. Listening to Worf's report of his interview with Bruce Maddox was not encouraging.

"Lore did a very thorough job of erasing the records of what he was looking at in the computer. So far all we've been able to determine is that he tried to find out where Data is and he saw the public record of the mission where he was lost."

"How long will it take to recover the rest of his computer activity?"

"We may never be able to discover all of it. I've got my best people working on the Starbase archive now."

"Have you contacted the ship that transported him away from the Starbase?" Picard addressed his question to Lt. Anthony McCoughtry, the Enterprise security chief.

"Yes sir. They confirm that they dropped him off at Memory Alpha. He said nothing to them about his ultimate destination. I have contacted all the Federation ships that have passed through there since his arrival. None of them picked him up. I've been trying to contact the non-Federation ships that have been there but most of them have not responded. None of those that have responded have had any contact with Lore."

"I know where he went." The statement came from perhaps the least likely source in the room; Dr. Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise's chief medical officer.

"Doctor, you have some insight?" Picard knew better than to dismiss Crusher out of hand. She had an impressively logical mind.

"Shortly after Dr. Soong's death, I asked Data what would become of his laboratory. Data said he had it sealed and hoped to return so he could bring Dr. Soong's material on board the Enterprise and continue his work. As you know, he never had the chance to do that. Lore also knew of Dr. Soong's lab and Geordi just said he read about Data's last mission so he also knew that B-4 had been reactivated. I believe he went to Terlina III, broke into the lab, and used the same homing signal that brought him and Data there to summon B-4."

Worf made the next logical step. "If B-4 met Lore at Terlina III, then Lore is most likely aboard the test ship in Romulan space."

Picard made the decision. "Probably, but inspecting the lab may provide some information about his ultimate plan. If we can find out where he's headed next, perhaps we can get a step ahead. Bridge, this is the captain, set course for Terlina III. Excellent deduction, Doctor."

"Joining you for those Dixon Hill adventures on the holodeck must be rubbing off on me, captain."

* * *

"Tell me about the Jemison" Riker queried his first officer.

"The USS Jemison is a Thompson-class ship used for testing of new starship equipment. It normally uses a crew of two but can easily be operated by a single person. It is small enough to fit inside the Titan's hangar bay. It had no weapons installed when it was taken from the Starbase. It is unlikely that B-4 or Lore had the time or equipment to make significant modifications to the vessel. The Jemison has an experimental engine arrangement. Commander Torres would be better qualified to brief you on that." T'Rausi looked at B'Elanna, who was at the bridge engineering station.

"The Jemison has a standard impulse engine, but no warp drive. For FTL travel it has a modified transwarp drive based on technology we learned about from the Borg. The system creates a subspace conduit that the ship can travel through. The impulse engine does not generate enough power to create the conduit, so the ship is equipped with a high capacity battery system. At a Starbase or Space Dock it can be recharged in a matter of minutes. If we brought it on board we could recharge it with the Titan's warp engine in an hour or so. The impulse engine on board the Jemison would take at least a day to recharge it if it wasn't being used for anything else. If it's being used to maneuver or operate on-board equipment it could take several days for the Jemison to recharge itself and be capable of FTL travel."

Riker pressed for additional information; "If it was fully recharged, how could we stop it from getting away?"

It was the Vulcan that answered; "The Titan's tractor beam would be more than sufficient to prevent the Jemison from entering a subspace conduit."

The next announcement came from M'Rook at the helm; "Now apprrroaching the Bassen Rrrift. The Rrromulan vessel is slowing to impulse speed."

"Drop to impulse and plot a search pattern. Hail the Bayon."

The Romulan commander appeared on the screen. "This is where your ship was last picked up on sensors."

"We are preparing to begin our search. We are transmitting our search pattern for your approval now."

Kelend looked at her screen for a moment. "The pattern is acceptable. We will follow under cloak. Your missing ship might be less hesitant to show itself if we are not visible."

"Understood, commander. Titan out." The screen went back to the local star pattern. "M'Rook, begin the search. B'Elanna, join me in my ready room. T'Rausi, you have the bridge."

* * *

"Standard orbit" ordered Picard as the Enterprise reached Terlina III. "Number One, please bring Lore on board."

"Yes sir." Worf nodded towards McCoughtry and the two men proceeded to the transporter room and beamed down near the laboratory.

There was no noise as the approached the building's only entrance. McCoughtry tried the door. It was not locked and they went through. As soon as they were inside both men felt an unbearable burning pain over their entire bodies. McCoughtry dropped the phaser he was holding and fell to the floor in agony. Worf held on to his weapon but dropped to his knees. "Worf to Enterprise. The laboratory...has some kind of...security system...beam us out...now!"

"We can't sir, the lab is magnetically shielded. You'll have to move outside." Neither Worf nor McCoughtry heard the transporter technician, as both had lost consciousness.

The lab's occupant heard it, however. He arrived just as Worf blacked out. He touched a control pad then Worf's communicator. "The lab's shield is now down. Please remove your men from my home." After the two officers vanished, he used the same control pad to reinstate the shield.

* * *

"Sirrr, we have located the Jemison. It is at two one fourrr marrrk two moving underrr impulse powerrr on heading 155 marrrk nine." M'Rook's purr had a definite pride as the smaller ship had been located less than 10% of the way into the search pattern.

"Let the Bayon know we are changing to an intercept course, warp one. Ready tractor beam."

"The Jemison is hailing us, captain." T'Rausi did not show any sign of surprise, of course.

"On screen."

The android on the screen had Lore's unmistakable smirk. "Riker! What a small fleet you must have. I keep running into the same people over and over."

"Surrender and prepare to have your stolen ship brought into the hangar bay, Lore."

"Surrender was always my intention, captain. I..." The image shook and the android began activating various controls.

"Captain, the Bayon has caught the Jemison in a tractor beam." T'Rausi's emotionless voice made the action seem far more ominous.

"Put our tractor beam on the Jemison. Don't let them have it. Hail the Bayon."

"Release the ship at once!" Kelend was angry at having to fight a tug-of-war for her prize. "It is a Federation ship in Romulan space in violation of treaty. We appreciate your assistance in locating it, now let us complete our mission and take the perpetrator to face justice."

"That was not our agreement, Kelend. The ship belongs to Starfleet and the occupant is a Federation citizen. We will protect them. With force if necessary."

"That ship violated our space without being detected. It must have a cloak of some kind. You court war by not giving it to us."

"The ship does not have a cloak. If you let it go, I will allow you to inspect the ship once it on board so you can see it for yourself."

"And the pilot?"

"The ship is unarmed and the pilot is not in Starfleet. That makes it a minor violation. In any event, it is up to the Federation to determine what punishment is appropriate. You wouldn't allow one of your citizens to stand trial in a Federation court. I'm certainly not going to allow one of ours to face Romulan 'justice'."

An older Romulan whispered in Kelend's ear before she responded. "My political officer says I have no choice but to agree to your terms. We will beam over shortly to inspect the ship. Bayon out."

"Bring the Jemison into the hangar bay. Have a security team take the pilot and anyone else on board into custody and lock them in the brig. Riker to Torres; the Jemison is being brought on board now and a Romulan inspector is coming aboard to check it out. Please make the appropriate arrangements."

* * *

"Doctor, what is their condition?" Picard had come to sickbay to check on the injured officers.

"They're both still unconscious. There doesn't appear to be any structural damage. Neither has any foreign objects or organisms in their system. I would guess they were hit by some sort of beam weapon, but until we know more about what caused this I'm hesitant to order anything beyond palliative care."

"If we are unable to discover the cause, will they recover?"

"Based on the tests we've done so far I would say yes. I would not be surprised if Mr. Worf was up in a few hours. Mr. McCoughtry will probably take until tomorrow at the earliest. Again, without knowing the cause of their condition this is all speculative."

"Well, doctor, if you're confident in your staff's ability to manage their care I would like for you to accompany Mr. LaForge to the planet to speak to the occupant of the laboratory. He may be more amenable to a knock on the door than he was to armed intruders. At the very least it will give you an opportunity to find out what happened to Worf and McCoughtry."

Crusher agreed and proceeded the transporter room to join Geordi and a security officer. The trio beamed down to the same spot near the lab that Worf and McCoughtry had used earlier.

"All this quiet is eerie" said LaForge as they approached the lab entrance. "Here goes nothing." Seeing no chime or bell, LaForge knocked on the door.

After a moment, the door opened and they were greeted by Lore. "Dr. Crusher, Mr. LaForge. I knew Picard would send someone down since I kept ignoring his communication attempts. I thought it might be another paramilitary group. I don't have any real interest in talking to Starfleet, but since you're here you might as well come in." He opened the door wide and gestured for them to enter.

"Your security system would make that a painful experience" said LaForge. "Look there and there." He pointed out two box like devices near the ceiling to Crusher. "I don't know what those are, but they're activated by galvanic skin responses."

Crusher recognized the devices. "I've seen those before. It's called an active denial system. They give off low intensity microwaves. It's very painful, making the target feel like their skin is burning off, but does no lasting damage."

"Quite right, doctor." Lore activated some controls on a panel near the door. "I have no desire to seriously hurt anyone, but I do cherish my privacy. I built and installed those the first day I was here. Do come in, but leave your goon outside."

LaForge nodded to the security officer to remain by the door, then he and Dr. Crusher went inside. "I need to contact the ship" said Crusher; "Now that I know what caused the pain to Worf and McCoughtry I can order appropriate treatment."

"Be my guest, doctor." Lore showed them into a small dining area off adjacent to the central lab room. "The laboratory doesn't have any facilities for entertaining guests. We will have to use this area to talk."

While Crusher talked to sickbay, Geordi made their intentions clear. "Our orders are to return you to Starbase 173. Make whatever arrangements you need to secure the lab then prepare to be beamed aboard the Enterprise."

"No." LaForge, and Crusher who had now joined them at the small dinner table, were taken aback by the abrupt answer. "I do not wish to return to the Starbase and I do not recognize your right to force me to go. I have committed no violations of Federation law. You have no warrant for my arrest. I am a Federation citizen. I have rights that you and Picard and the rest of Starfleet are obligated to respect. You can't force me to go somewhere just because you don't like me."

"I don't believe Starfleet would have ordered us to bring you back without the appropriate authorization. I'm going to contact the Enterprise and get the documentation." LaForge moved away from the table to consult with the ship.

Lore's expression softened as he turned towards Crusher. "Doctor, I owe you an apology." Crusher was shocked, almost to the point of her jaw dropping. "At our first encounter I shot at you and threatened your son. I deeply regret all my actions during that time on board your ship, but especially those directed at you and your family. I know you won't believe this, but I am a changed man."

LaForge returned to the table. "Doctor, we have to return to the Enterprise. Lore, please don't try to leave the planet until we sort this out."

* * *

Riker and T'Rausi were in the transporter room. "Energize." Commander Kelend and a Romulan male appeared on the pad. "Welcome aboard the Titan, commander. This is my first officer, T'Rausi of Vulcan."

"This is Mikel, engineering officer. Take us to the intruding ship immediately."

"Right this way" Riker led the group to the hangar bay where the Jemison was being housed. There they met B'Elanna. "Commander, this is my chief engineer, B'Elanna Torres. She can assist with any technical questions you or your engineer might have."

Torres led the engineer into the Jemison. Mikel immediately had a problem. "My tricorder is not functioning."

"I would be happy to let you use mine" Torres offered and held the device out to the Romulan. He took it and began scanning the ship. After going through the entire ship, he transmitted the data to the Bayon's main computer for analysis and after getting the results back returned B'Elanna's tricorder. The two left the Jemison and joined the senior officers on the hangar bay deck.

"Commander, I scanned the ship thoroughly and found nothing out of the ordinary. No cloaking device is present. The ship has no armaments. The scan data has been transmitted to the ship's computer and will be available for your review when we return to the Bayon."

Kelend was clearly frustrated, but had no choice but to return to her ship. After Riker, T'Rausi, and the Romulans left, B'Elanna went back aboard the Jemison and uttered a simple command; "Computer, end program." The interior of the test ship returned to its actual appearance and Torres began reprogramming her tricorder back to normal function.

* * *

The Enterprise briefing room had an air of anxiety. The mission had taken a turn far out of the captain's area of expertise. Crusher, LaForge, and a recovered Worf were joined by a new face to the proceedings. Picard began the meeting. "I believe you've all met Lt. Commander Hood, the Enterprise legal affairs officer. I have asked him to join us due to Lore's assertion of legal rights. Mr. Hood, what is your assessment of Lore's argument?"

"Lore is correct that we have no legal authority to demand he return to the Starbase. I have researched the Federation legal database. There has been no warrant issued for Lore's arrest. He is a Federation citizen. Soong-type androids are sentient beings under the law, as you well know. Lore was created, or born if you prefer, on a Federation planet."

Worf was the first to respond. "He is an escaped prisoner. No warrant is needed."

Hood was prepared for this contention. "Lore was not a prisoner. He has not been tried or convicted of any crime. He was free to leave the Starbase at any time."

Picard was puzzled. "How is that possible? He has broken many Federation laws."

Geordi had the most logical answer; "I guess they didn't feel the need to go through the formality of a trial when he was deactivated and his programs and memories had been removed. He wasn't a threat and a criminal proceeding might have impeded Dr. Maddox's research."

Hood concurred; "I agree that's a likely scenario, though somewhat troubling from an ethical standpoint. Removing someone's memories and cognitive functions might constitute cruel and unusual punishment even with a conviction. To do so without due process is a frightening prospect."

Picard tried to get the meeting back on track; "Be that as it may, our immediate concern is getting Lore back to the Starbase. Assuming we can't convince him to return willingly, what would be the procedure?"

"There would have to be a hearing to see if there is sufficient evidence for him to stand trial. This would ordinarily have to be done on the accused's planet of residence. However, since Terlina III is uninhabited except for the laboratory it could be done on an orbiting Starship."

Worf raised an objection; "The Enterprise does not have the proper personnel to hold a hearing of this type. We would need to contact the Federation counsel to have trained people sent in."

Hood countered; "It would take weeks or even months before they could get anyone here. It is possible to have the hearing using serving officers. I looked at the mission logs of his capture. Since you, captain, and Mr. LaForge would be material witnesses to what happened on the mission where he was captured, it would fall to Mr. Worf to prosecute. As the next most senior officer on board, Dr. Crusher would be obligated to serve as defense counsel."

Worf and Crusher tried to speak at once, but Picard took control of the meeting. "What about laws he broke before the incident that led to his capture?"

"The Federation has a statute of limitations, captain. The incident you're referring to happened more than ten years ago. Any non-capital crime that he might have committed before Stardate 45309 would not be prosecutable."

"Very well. We will hold the hearing tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Captain's log, supplemental. The Titan is on its way back to Federation space with the USS Jemison in the hangar and a prisoner in the brig. Our ruse was successful in misleading the Romulans as to the nature of the test ship. Now we have to find a way to get information out of an android that doesn't want to give it to us.

The Titan's briefing room was upbeat with the success of the mission. "B'Elanna, excellent job with the Romulans." Riker knew she deserved and needed the praise.

"Good thing they were willing to let us transport them. Deactivating the tricorder would have been much more difficult if they had transported themselves. It also helped that Mikel didn't want to let Kelend see him using one of our tricorders. She might have gotten suspicious if she'd known."

"Now, the next question is how do we get Lore to cooperate?" Riker posed the question to the whole senior staff.

"That's not Lore!" came the response in two part harmony. Troi and Torres, two women not often in agreement, had not planned to speak in unison but had each reached the same conclusion independently.

It was always Riker's policy to let his first officer manage discussions when Deanna Troi, his wife, was involved. He didn't want to appear to be playing favorites, and he certainly didn't want to fight with her about not getting to express her opinion. So it was T'Rausi who called on her to speak first; "Counselor, what makes you think the android in the brig is not Lore?"

"I have sensed Lore's emotions before, both on the Enterprise and on the planet where he was captured. Those emotions were present when we communicated with the android on the Jemison, but they didn't belong to him. It was as if Lore's personality was being transmitted through another android body from a great distance. I believe the android we have in the brig is B-4 and Lore has somehow taken control of him."

T'Rausi then turned to the half Klingon engineer. "B'Elanna, what leads you to believe the android in the brig is not Lore?"

"Computer, show the communication between the Titan and the Jemison, time stamp 883.8."

The briefing room screen showed the exchange towards the end. The recording of 'Lore' said "Surrender was always my intention, captain. I..." and the Jemison was taken by the Romulan tractor. As the android turned to activate some controls Torres froze the image.

"Look there on the back of his neck. There is a device attached to an auxiliary memory port. I examined the specs on both Lore and B-4 when we began this mission. Lore's auxiliary ports are all inside of his torso. Makes sense, he would look more human without devices sticking out of him and they would be better protected from outside hazards. He does not have a memory port in his neck or anywhere close to it. B-4, on the other hand, has a port in exactly that spot. Since he was a prototype, the easier access was undoubtedly more important than cosmetic or safety concerns. There is no question that the android we have in our brig is B-4."

* * *

"Commander LaForge, did you see the results of Lore's experiments on the Borg?" Worf had called Geordi as his first witness.

"Objection!" Crusher was not going to allow this line of questioning. "Whatever happened to the Borg is not within the jurisdiction of this court. The Borg are not Federation citizens and the planet where this occurred is not within Federation space. There has been no request of extradition from the Borg, and even if there was the Federation and the Borg do not have an extradition agreement in place. Further, at the time in question the Federation and the Borg were in a state of war. Quite a few Federation persons killed Borg during this time, including several who are involved with this trial."

Lt. Commander Hood ruled as judge; "The objection is sustained. Mr. Worf, please limit your questions to those involving crimes against the Federation or its people."

Worf then got Geordi to relate the events that led to Lore's capture, with special emphasis on the plan to destroy most of his brain cells.

Lt. Commander Hood, acting as judge, kept the proceedings moving. "Doctor Crusher, do you wish to cross examine?"

"Yes, your honor. May I have a moment to confer with my client?" She and Lore had a whispered conversation at the defense table before she got up to address Geordi. "Commander LaForge, you testified that you saw a carrier wave going from Lore to Data. Was this carrier wave visible to the naked eye?"

"No."

"So you could only see it because of your optical implants?"

"At the time I was still using a visor, but yes I could only see the wave because of it."

"Computer, show exhibit LaForge Alpha. Commander LaForge, is this image from the visual record from your visor that you attached to your mission log for this mission?"

"Yes."

"Where is the carrier wave that you testified to earlier?"

"It is the yellowish wave form between Lore and Data."

"Given the strength of the wave, what would its maximum effective range be?"

"I would estimate it would be effective to a range of approximately 200 kilometers."

"Looking to the right side of the screen, there is a wave form between Lore and one of the Borg that appears similar to the one between Lore and Data. Did you see that wave at the time?"

"I guess I did, but I don't remember it."

"Is the wave coming from Lore or from the Borg?"

"It is coming from the Borg."

"What effect would this wave have on Lore?"

"It would have an effect much like the effect on Data. He would feel emotions and be susceptible to suggestion."

"So, if someone wanted to manipulate Lore this would be an effective way to do it."

"Objection!" Worf interjected loudly. "The witness has no way of knowing what the intention of the Borg was in sending this wave."

Crusher answered right away. "I did not ask the witness about the Borg's intentions. I asked if this would be an effective way for anyone to manipulate Lore."

"The objection is overruled. Doctor, you may continue your cross examination."

"Thank you, your honor. Commander LaForge, did Lore say anything about why he was on this planet?"

"Yes. He said he had found the Borg separated from the collective and wanted to help them. In return, they would help him conquer the Federation."

"Given your past dealings with Lore, is it in his nature to help others or work with a group to achieve his goals?"

"No."

"How would you rate Lore's intelligence?"

"He is highly intelligent."

"How many Borg were on this planet?"

"About 100."

"Is it at all likely that 100 renegade Borg and two androids could conquer the Federation?"

"Not a chance."

"Do you think Lore is intelligent enough to know that any such plan is doomed to failure?"

"Yes."

"So, Lore was behaving unusually and was committed to a plan he must have known had no chance of success. He was receiving a signal from the Borg similar to the one Data was receiving from him. Is it possible that the Borg were manipulating Lore?"

Geordi hesitated, knowing that his answer would hurt the chances of Lore being returned to the Starbase. "Yes, it is possible Lore was being manipulated by the Borg."

* * *

The Titan had an interrogation room adjacent to the brig. It was there that B-4 was being questioned by T'Rausi and Troi. The android was confined by a restraining chair. The counselor spoke first. "We know that this is B-4's body being controlled by Lore. Why did you send him here?"

"I needed to be in two places at once. My programming is sufficiently advanced for me to operate both bodies simultaneously."

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

"I was looking for something."

"Did you find it?"

"I did indeed, counselor."

T'Rausi saw that this was leading nowhere and took over. "You said 'surrender was always my intention'. Why were you so willing to give yourself up?"

"It would have taken days to recharge the batteries on the Jemison. I wasn't sure I could avoid the Romulans for that long on impulse power. I want to return to the Federation. What better way than on a Starship?"

"You know we are taking you to a penal colony."

"I know that's your plan." Lore winked B-4's eye at the two women as he said this.

Troi took back over at this point. "Considering where we were, you must have been looking for something that belonged to Data. So, B-4, where are you taking this item?"

"Oh counselor, there is no space for you to drive a wedge between us. I am in total control of B-4. As for where I am, Picard has already figured that out so you need not worry your pretty little head about it."

Troi leaned and whispered to T'Rausi; "We'll be in Federation space in a few hours. Once there we can contact the Enterprise and have them stop Lore from controlling B-4. Then we can get some answers."

T'Rausi whispered back; "I believe there is a faster way to break the control."

The Vulcan got up and approached the android. "Since you are not cooperative, we will have to talk to B-4. You say you are in total control of this body, but can you control it without this?" She pulled out the device from the back of B-4's neck. The android went completely limp, like a marionette that had its strings cut. "Counselor, is there a way to restart him?"

Troi approached and felt along the androids back until she found the switch to reactivate B-4. She toggled it, but nothing happened. The android remained motionless. "Lore must have done something to prevent him from being activated without the control device."

T'Rausi called in the two security officers who had been outside the interrogation room. Lt. McWilliams, whose matronly appearance belied her toughness, and ensign Whalen, a human woman possessing a stoicism unmatched by even by most Vulcans, entered the room. "Take this android body to engineering. T'Rausi to Torres, the android has shut down and we have been unable to reactivate him. I am sending the body to you. Please find a way to wake him up." She handed the control device to McWilliams. "Engineering may need this."

* * *

Captain Picard told a story virtually identical to Geordi's about how his team had encountered Lore and how Data, presumably under Lore's control, took the engineer for experimentation. Worf finished with the slam dunk question; "Captain, is there any doubt in your mind that Data was being controlled by Lore when he imprisoned you and implanted the neural cable into Commander LaForge?"

"None whatsoever."

"I have no further questions."

Hood called on Crusher; "Do you wish to cross examine?"

"Yes, your honor. Captain Picard, where was this planet located?"

"Approximately 47 light years outside of Federation space, in an unclaimed system."

"How did Data get to the planet?"

"He took a shuttle."

"Did he have authorization to take the shuttle?"

"No."

"Did he take the shuttle of his own free will?"

"Objection! Calls for speculation." Worf's basso profundo voice made the accusation seem worse than it was.

"Sustained."

Crusher continued; "Was anyone else aboard the shuttle when Data took it to the planet?"

"Yes. There was a Borg prisoner aboard."

"So he stole a shuttlecraft and helped a prisoner escape. Was that typical behavior for Data?"

"No. Data was a model officer."

"Did you debrief Data after this mission?"

"Yes."

"What reason did he give for these actions?"

"He said he was being controlled by someone else."

"Where was Lore when Data took the shuttle?"

"On the planet."

"The planet which was 47 light years away?"

"Yes."

"Commander LaForge testified that the effective range of the carrier wave between Data and Lore was only 200 kilometers. How could he control someone from 47 light years away with such a wave?"

"The Borg can also send such waves. The prisoner must have been directed to use one by Lore."

"Where was the prisoner being kept on the Enterprise?"

"In the brig."

"Were there any special precautions taken due to him being a Borg?"

"Yes. A subspace damping field was in effect to prevent communication from outside the ship."

"If communication was disrupted, how did Lore direct the prisoner to use the wave on Data?"

Picard paused, thinking, before answering. "I don't know."

"Is it possible that the Borg was controlling Data without Lore telling him to do so?"

"Yes, it is possible."

* * *

"Now enterrring Federrration space." M'Rook's purring accent seemed calmer as the ship returned home.

Riker's usual jovial command style seemed appropriate. "Set course for Starbase 173. T'Rausi, contact the Enterprise and see if they need any assistance with their part of the mission."

"Sirrr, the helm is not rrresponding."

"Subspace communications are offline, captain."

"What the hell is happening? What is our course heading?"

"Zerrro Seven One marrrk One Eight Five. Therrre is nothing within the Federrration along this courrrse. If we continue in this dirrrection we will eventually enterrr Gorrrn space."

"T'Rausi, what happened to communications?"

"It's not just communications, captain. All command functions have been routed to Auxiliary Control."

"Riker to Auxiliary Control, what's going on down there?" There was no reply.

"I read two officers in that area, Lt. McWilliams and ensign Whalen. Those are the same two officers that took B-4's body to engineering."

"Riker to Engineering; B'Elanna, what is the status of B-4?"

"Torres here. B-4's body never arrived here, captain. I was just about to call Commander T'Rausi to see if other arrangements had been made."

"T'Rausi, could B-4 be in Auxiliary Control?"

"Possibly. I cannot reconfigure the sensors to make that determination without the command functions."

"Get down there and take back control of the ship."

"Aye, captain."

* * *

"Your honor, the defense rests." Crusher made the surprise announcement without Lore taking the stand in his own defense.

Worf was not pleased. "She can't do that!"

Crusher countered; "Actually, Mr. Worf, it is perfectly within my rights to rest my case at any time after you've completed yours. Since you haven't proven any of..."

She was interrupted by Lt. Commander Hood; "Doctor, please save your arguments for your closing statement. Mr. Worf, she is correct. There is no obligation for the defendant to testify. You could have called him as a witness before you rested your case if you had so desired."

"I do not like this system."

"Your objection is noted, Mr. Worf. Are you ready to proceed with closing arguments?"

"Yes"

"Doctor Crusher, are you ready for closing arguments?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Very well. Mr. Worf, you may proceed."

"Lore is a bad man. A man without honor. A man who would sacrifice his own brother without hesitation to further his own agenda. The evidence is clear. The carrier wave controlling Data came from Lore. Not from the Borg, not from any external source, not from anyone else but Lore. Lore is therefore responsible for Data's actions on the planet. Lore made Data imprison three Starfleet officers. Lore made Data experiment on Commander LaForge. And ultimately, Lore made Data expendable to prove a point to the Borg and to the imprisoned crew members. And, of course, he ran in a most cowardly fashion once he realized he had lost control of Data and his right hand Borg was killed. Having no more ability to commit his crimes, he was seeking to escape and start again elsewhere. He is a menace to civilized society and he must be stopped. Today we have a chance to do so. We must not waver in our pursuit of law and order. We cannot allow a creature such as Lore to roam free. We must stop him, before he finds a way to do some real harm." Worf returned to his seat after completing his statement to the judge.

Hood called on Crusher; "Doctor, your statement."

"We are not here to decide whether Lore is bad man. That's a judgement far beyond the purview of this court. We are here for one purpose and one purpose only, to determine if Lore committed a crime. The prosecution's case hinges on the idea that Lore used the carrier wave to compel Data to commit criminal acts."

"First, let me note for the record that there is no Federation law prohibiting the sending of carrier waves, even if they are directed at a specific individual without their knowledge or consent. There is also no law prohibiting influencing people to do something you want them to do. Mr. Worf and I have both been engaged in that activity during this trial, trying to influence you, your honor, into rendering a decision favorable to us. A carrier wave is not a weapon. Data suffered no physical damage despite repeated exposure to the wave. It cannot be concluded that it was a means of coercion. The prosecution seems to believe that the wave allowed Lore complete control over Data. Even if true, the Federation has no laws prohibiting that either. The closest law on Federation books would be Federation code 358.2 prohibiting placing one's own consciousness into another person without their consent. There has been no evidence to suggest that Lore did any such thing to Data. Quite simply, there was no law to be broken here."

"Second, even if we assume that using a carrier wave to control someone is in violation of some unknown Federation law, the evidence strongly suggests that Lore was not the source of the wave. Look at exhibit LaForge Alpha. There is an identical carrier wave going from one of the Borg to Lore. They were using Lore as a conduit for the wave. If the wave confers absolute control over Soong type androids, then the Borg must have had that level of control over Lore. If not, then Lore could not have had that level of control over Data. Either way, the prosecution's case does not hold water."

"Third, and finally, Data was controlled before he reached the planet where Lore was. That's why he left the Enterprise in the first place. He was controlled by the Borg in the brig. That same Borg, named Crosis, is the one sending the carrier wave to Lore in the exhibit. And, he's the 'right hand Borg' the prosecution mentioned whose death prompted Lore to flee. That's an action consistent with having been controlled and then suddenly becoming free of that control."

"Ultimately, Lore had no more control over his actions than Data did, and should face no more punishment than Data received." Crusher seemed very confident as she returned to her seat.

Hood called for a recess; "You will have my decision within the hour."

* * *

"T'Rausi to bridge. Captain, the door to Auxiliary Control is sealed. Commander Torres is working on getting us in now."

"Captain!" M'Rook was more excited than normal at the helm.

"Stand by, M'Rook. T'Rausi, have you been able to determine if B-4 is in there?" Riker was doing his best to deal with one problem at a time.

"Negative, captain. Still reading only McWilliams and Whalen, both of whom appear to be unconscious. B'Elanna says we'll be through in a moment."

"Captain, he have an..." This time M'Rook was cut off by the first officer's call.

"We're in, captain! There's no sign of B-4. He apparently locked in the controls then went somewhere else."

"Riker to Torres; B'Elanna, how soon can we restore control?" Riker wanted his ship back.

"He's got it locked up pretty tight, captain. Best guess is two hours."

"Riker to T'Rausi; initiate a Level One security sweep. Find that android!"

"That won't be necessarrrry, captain"; M'Rook finally got a word in. "We had an unauthorrrized launch from the hangarrr bay. It was the Jemison. It was headed on courrrse one thrrree five marrrk zerrro fourrr five on impulse powerrr, then it activated its trrranswarrrp drrrive and disappearrred."

"Riker to T'Rausi; cancel security sweep and report to the bridge. M'Rook, if the Jemison maintained the same course, what would be the next system it would encounter?"

Troi, sitting next to Riker, spoke; "Why would he stay on the same course? Wouldn't it make more sense to exit the conduit and change course to throw us off the trail?"

"Sensible, but not practical. Once he exits the conduit he'll have to recharge the Jemison's batteries, which will take too long."

M'Rook gave the captain the answer; "If the Jemison maintains courrrse, the next system it encounterrrs will be the Terrrlina system, captain."

* * *

Hood entered the room as the hearing recommenced. "Before I announce my decision, do you have anything to say Mr. Lore?"

"Yes, your honor"; Lore rose from his seat and approached the judge. "As you have gathered from these proceedings, there are many things I have done of which I am not proud. I have committed some despicable, evil acts. That is, however, all in the past. Either the experience of being controlled by the Borg or my captivity on the Starbase or a combination of the two has changed me. I am no longer the rogue android bent on creating chaos and mayhem. I want to do right by those I have wronged, especially my brothers. That is my sole motivation. For my past crimes I have spent 10 years as a prisoner of the Federation, with my body enslaved and my mind trapped in a computer over which I had no control. This was done with no trial or hearing, and no opportunity for me to defend myself. I submit that this was more than sufficient punishment for anything I might have done. I ask you to consider this when deciding whether to return me to that hell."

After Lore returned to his seat, Hood gave his judgement; "There can be no doubt that crimes were committed on the Borg planet and that Mr. Lore was involved with them. However, I am forced to agree with defense counsel when she says 'Lore had no more control over his actions than Data did, and should face no more punishment than Data received'. Mr. Data was never charged for his activities on this planet, in no small part because the victims of those acts gave statements in his defense. In this hearing, two of those victims testified against Mr. Lore. I can find no reason for their differing opinions as to the guilt of these two androids other than their personal relationships with them. We cannot prosecute Mr. Lore for acts committed by Mr. Data when Mr. Data himself was not charged for them. I find, therefore, that there is not sufficient evidence for Mr. Lore to stand trial. He is ordered to be released."

"YES!" Lore actually jumped for joy as he shouted. He turned to Crusher; "Thank you, doctor. You are an excellent attorney." He then went to Picard; "Captain, I would like to be returned to my laboratory now."

Picard did not look happy, but gave the order anyway. "Very well. Mr. Worf, please escort Lore to the transporter room and have him beamed down to the lab."

* * *

"Why did we recharge the batteries on the Jemison?" Riker had already filled T'Rausi in on the unauthorized launch and now wanted some answers.

"Standard procedure when a Federation vessel is brought into the hangar bay, captain. No one gave an order to the contrary, so the deck crew did what they normally do in that situation."

"Torres to bridge; captain you should have helm control." B'Elanna had been working to break through the lockout in Auxiliary control for slightly more than an hour.

"Good work, B'Elanna. M'Rook, take us to the Terlina system, maximum warp."

"Aye, sirrr"

"Riker to Torres; How long until we have the rest of the command functions restored?"

"Helm control was the biggest tangle. Everything should be back to normal by the time we reach the Terlina system."

T'Rausi was puzzled by the choice of destination. "The Terlina system is uninhabited. Why would Lore want B-4 to go there?"

It was Troi who answered; "The third planet is M-Class. Dr. Soong, who created both Lore and B-4, built a laboratory there before he died. Lore is most likely there and instructed B-4 to bring the item he was looking for to him."

* * *

Captain's Log, supplemental. The Enterprise remains in orbit around Terlina III awaiting further orders from Starfleet. Admiral Haftel is consulting with the Federation Counsel's office to determine if there is a legal way to require Lore's return to the Starbase.

Lt. McCoughtry entered the bridge from the rear lift and noted that the entire senior staff was on the bridge. Picard spoke to him first; "Mr. McCoughtry, good to have you back on duty."

"Good to be back, sir. I used to think a man could fight through any amount of pain. I know better now."

Picard then addressed himself to Dr. Crusher, who was seated to his left. "You did an excellent job defending Lore, doctor. Has Mr. Hood tried to recruit you?"

She smiled in her radiant way; "I don't think I'm ready to give up medicine just yet. It's a funny thing, I went into the hearing wanting to lose, but dealing with Lore he really seemed different. Maybe it was all an act, but even before the process started, when we were in the lab, he apologized to me for what happened at our first meeting. I never expected to hear that from him."

"Perhaps he really has changed. Mr. LaForge, when you were in the laboratory did you see what he was working on?"

"I only got a quick glance, but it appeared he was adapting Borg technology to work with his own circuits somehow."

McCoughtry interrupted; "A subspace disturbance just appeared at coordinates 183 mark 170."

Picard wanted to see it; "On screen."

The view screen changed to the appropriate view just in time to show a ship emerging from a subspace conduit. McCoughtry identified it; "It is the USS Jemison. They are emitting a high frequency verteron pulse."

Worf shouted the command; "Shields up!"; but it was too late. The pulse hit the Enterprise and knocked most of the ship's systems offline.

McCoughtry was still tracking the ship on sensors; "There are no life form readings from the ship, captain. They are activating a transporter."

"Are they beaming something onto the Enterprise?" With the shields damaged by the verteron pulse the ship was vulnerable to boarders or explosives.

McCoughtry responded; "Negative. The beam was directed at the planet. Whoever or whatever they transported went to Lore's laboratory."

Picard turned to LaForge; "Get us back up and running. Picard to all hands; make damage reports to the bridge."

Worf was checking his screen; "Warp drive is out. Shields are out. All weapons systems are out. Transporters are out. All shuttles are inoperable."

Picard gave the only order he could; "Commence repairs on all systems."

* * *

"Now enterrring the Terrrlina system." M'Rook announced their arrival with a happy sounding purr.

"Put us in standard orbit around the third planet." Riker was ready to go down and get B-4 and Lore himself if need be.

T'Rausi changed his plans with her report. "Sir, the Jemison is in orbit but B-4 is no longer aboard. Also, the Enterprise is in orbit but appears to have some sort of distress."

Riker "Get the Jemison with a tractor beam and bring it on board. This time put a security team on it so that it doesn't get taken again. Hail the Enterprise."

"Picard here. Captain Riker, you're just in time. The Jemison emitted a high frequency verteron pulse as it exited the subspace conduit and damaged most of our systems. We could use some help."

"Glad to do it captain. I'll have B'Elanna contact Geordi and work out the details."

"Captain, incoming message from the planet." T'Rausi did not want to interrupt the captains, but had no choice.

"We're receiving it also"; Picard informed Riker.

"On screen"; Riker knew the message was more important than more small talk with his former commanding officer.

Lore's face came on the screen. "Greetings, captains. I invite you to come down to my lab. I have something to show you. Bring everyone who knows my brother. I think they'll be pleased by what I've done." The message ended and the screen went black, then returned to communication with the Enterprise.

Picard spoke first; "Our transporters are out. Beam us to the Titan and we'll go down together."

"Agreed. Let us know when you're ready to transport."

* * *

Picard, Worf, Crusher, LaForge, Riker, and Troi entered the lab and saw Lore and B-4 sitting motionless, Each attached to a large computer console by a cable in his head. When they got closer a hologram of Lore appeared.

"I see everyone is here. Let me tell you what has happened. When I regained my consciousness on the Starbase, my original programming interacted with the programming Dr. Maddox had created for me. I felt intense guilt over what I had done to my brother and wanted to make amends. When I found out he was destroyed and that B-4 was on the Enterprise when it happened, I knew what I could do for him. I summoned B-4 and. as expected, found that Data had placed a backup copy of his programs and memories into B-4. Not to take over that body, but to be placed in a new android if something happened to him. I was surprised to find, however, that his emotion chip was missing. So, I installed the remote communication and control device into B-4 and took the transwarp ship to retrieve the chip. Meanwhile, I stayed here and worked on a way to improve computing speed and memory capacity for my body and especially for B-4, using technology I had seen when I was with the Borg at our last encounter. When B-4 returned, I deactivated him and made the memory and processing modifications. Then I programmed the computer here to transfer Data's programs into my body. He deserves to live more than I do, so I am giving my body to him. When you activate him, there will be none of me left."

The hologram vanished and the officers were stunned. LaForge disconnected the two androids and activated B-4. His face took on its normal, senseless appearance. "Hello"; he said.

They then activated the android that had been Lore. It was unmistakably Data's voice that spoke. "What has happened? My last memory record is on board the Enterprise at Bassen Rift." Data paused, realizing the differences in Lore's construction and the new modifications he had made. "This is not my original body."

Picard filled him in; "That was six months ago. You stored your programs in B-4. Lore recently regained his consciousness and out of guilt he gave his body to you, using that backup."

As the eight of them prepared to beam back up to the Titan, B-4 stood at the back of the group. None of the officers could see his face as for one brief moment the familiar grin of Lore was there, looking like a cat who had swallowed the world's biggest canary.


End file.
